


HorrorDust Week 2021

by Kasbaka



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Sexual Content, Souls
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-15
Updated: 2021-03-18
Packaged: 2021-03-24 05:34:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30067461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kasbaka/pseuds/Kasbaka
Summary: A week of HorrorDust to soothe the Soul.
Relationships: Horror/Dust, Sans/Sans (Undertale)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 27





	1. Souls

**Author's Note:**

> I didn't realize it was HorrorDust week until yesterday evening. I wanted to participate so badly, but I am not a quick writer. The result is...whatever this explosion of words is. I apologize in advance.

Dust scoffed at all the little red hearts floating around the market. This was one of the many reasons he hated visiting universes where monsters had come to the surface. Stupid human traditions. Red heart balloons, red heart cards, red heart pillows; he seriously was about two seconds from turning this entire place into a boneyard.

The holiday was supposedly about _love._

He'll show them all a little LOVE.

A hand grabbed his own, preventing the draw of magic that would have sent the market into a screaming panic. Dust looked to Horror, who had an excited grin across his face and was eagerly shaking a brown bag full to the brim with chocolates.

"It was all...discounted!"

Dust sighed. At least the stupid holiday was over. And Horror was happy.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

They chilled in Dust's room as Horror went through and organized all his new candies. Dust kicked off his shoes and lounged on the bed, pulling out a handheld game to distract him from the anxious twitchy feeling he always got from being around humans for too long.

"Seriously, they have to rub all their ugly determination in our faces. They don't even have proper looking Souls to be so cocky. They all make me sick. You sure you wouldn't rather just get Cross to go next year?"

"He'll steal chocolates."

"Killer?"

"Worse than you...around the humans."

"Nightmare?"

Horror gave him a look, not even humoring a response to that one. Dust chuckled, "Can you imagine the Boss? A little bag, shopping for discounted chocolate hearts? Sure would be funny looking."

Dust fiddled with his game while waiting for Horror to respond. At his silence, Dust paused to glance across the room. Horror had his back to him, but had stilled in his movement, no longer fussing over his bag of goodies.

"Hey, what is it? Buy the wrong thing?"

Horror remained silent, prompting Dust to set his game aside and sit up, "Horror?"

He turned around slowly, his hands clasped together, holding something out of view. He was staring at his hands anxiously, as if carefully considering his words before speaking. "You...hate their ugly Souls."

"Uh, they call them 'hearts' but yeah, same difference."

"But they...give 'em out to...people they love."

Dust watched him carefully as he stepped closer to the bed. Slowly, hesitantly, he held his hands out and opened them, revealing his Soul. Dust's eyes widened and he looked up but Horror refused to meet his gaze. He reached out and carefully took the precious object, cradling it close so he could inspect it.

It was smaller than an average Soul, likely from so many years without food. He could feel the dry dustiness that coated it, similar to his own from the LV. But what was most noticeable was the lack of the distinctive glow that other Souls had. Horror had barely survived in his universe, facing starvation and physical trauma that would have dusted weaker monsters. That life reflected in his Soul; it looked more like a funny shaped rock than anything else.

He'd caught brief glances of Horror's Soul in the past, but the other monster had always been too self-conscious to let him get a good look at it. He hadn't seen any reason to push it. If Horror wasn't comfortable, then that was that. It didn't change how he felt towards him, so who cared?

And now, here it was, being freely given. He brushed a thumb across it and Horror gasped. Dust wondered how long it had been since anyone had touched it.

Perhaps he was the first?

"It's...ugly," Horror muttered.

Dust held his tongue, sometimes too quick to say the wrong thing. Horror was exposing himself and he needed to handle him with care. He took a moment to simply gaze into the Soul in front of him, not wanting to miss a single detail. He smiled.

"Come here."

Horror made a noise of dissent but shuffled closer, sitting down on the floor beside the bed. He clawed at the sheets and Dust hummed fondly at how busy Horror always had to keep his hands.

Dust carefully pulled on his magic, letting it surround Horror's Soul.

"Hn!" Horror's hand moved to clutch at Dust's leg as the warm magic surrounded him. He knew even this tapered amount being fed into him felt like a lot, considering how long Horror had gone cut off from his own magic.

"Do you feel it?"

Horror buried his face against the bedding, but nodded. The hand not holding Horror's soul gently brushed against the back of his neck in soothing little strokes.

"What do you feel?"

"You," he murmured.

"That's right," Dust poured more magic into the rough Soul, and with it, all the intent he could muster; the words he would screw up, the feelings he couldn't properly articulate. Like this, there was no hiding. "Tell me, what am I feeling?"

"You're...grateful."

"Yeah, I am, I don't deserve you."

Horror finally looked up at that, ready to argue, but he choked on his words as soon as Dust traced his fingers against the side of his skull, resting his palm on the side of his face.

"Keep going. What else do you feel?"

"I feel...you're happy," Dust hummed, pleased as Horror lightly nuzzled against his hand. "You think my Soul is...nice."

"Heh, understatement. It's beautiful, prettier than the stars. I could look at it forever," Horror groaned in embarrassment, burying his face against the side of Dust's leg. Dust took the opportunity to gently brush away some of the dustiness that coated the outside of the Soul. Horror squirmed at the treatment but allowed it. And then, so faintly that if he hadn't been inspecting it, he wouldn't have even noticed, was a small red glow in the very center. It was a pale, barely there thing, but to Dust it may as well have glowed like the sun. A precious piece of Horror that hadn't died in his universe.

And it was his.

"Heh...I feel it," Horror had peeked his eye out, watching him. He hadn't even noticed with how transfixed he'd been.

"Huh? Oh, what are you feeling?" He hadn't meant to send anything through this time.

"Your love," Horror smirked as Dust's face flushed purple. 

"Yeah, yeah..." He pulled on his own Soul, letting it manifest and guiding it down into his palm beside Horror's. The two gravitated around one another in a smooth dance, the magical intent between them leaving the monster pair feeling warm and complete.

Alright. Perhaps this wasn't the _worst_ holiday imaginable.


	2. Universes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dust and Horror struggle to find somewhere to call their own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 2! I'm barely keeping up! Ahh!

They needed to get away from it all.

The fighting, the pain, the memories - everything. They wanted to start over, together.

They decided that it would be best to find a universe that wasn't too unusual. Something that wouldn't be a terrible culture shock during what was already a difficult time. What they found... was a quiet looking universe, with an unassuming Snowdin.

There weren't many residents, and those that were around weren't exactly talkative. It was fine. The pair preferred their privacy. They took up residency in a small home on the outskirts of town, content to settle into a quiet routine.

"This seems...nice," Horror was looking around, his eye drawn to the quaint kitchen with plenty of cupboard space. Dust knew he was already picturing the food he would stock, the meals he would make, and the dinners they would enjoy together.

"Yeah, this was a good choice," Dust agreed. Horror turned from the kitchen to smile at him, shuffling over to wrap his arms around his small lover. Dust sighed, relaxing into the embrace.

Things were finally looking up.

The first night Dust bolted upright in bed, sweating, gasping, and clutching at his chest, Horror attributed it to a night terror. Dust had them sometimes. He pulled him close and held him until his shaking stopped. 

Dust had chuckled, in that dark way he always did when he was frustrated with himself, "Don't know what came over me. Thought I was past all this. Heh, sorry babe."

The next time, Dust woke up screaming. It terrified Horror, and when he reached out to comfort him, Dust flinched away. He was stunned...and hurt. It took Dust a few minutes for the panic to die down and for reality to come back into focus, and when it did, he was aghast. His eyes filled with tears as he reached towards his lover; his hand shaking, unsure if he still had a place in Horror's arms.

"Don't be...silly. I love you...was just a bad dream..." Horror squeezed him tight, kissing his skull through apologies that he didn't need.

It kept happening.

Dust barely slept. He looked worse than Horror had seen in ages. And he couldn't figure out why. He didn't know how to fix something when he didn't even know what was wrong. His answer finally came while shopping for tea leaves to help his sweetheart sleep.

"Restless nights? It's the spirits. They twist your nightmares and drag your sins to bare. Best to be careful, friend," said the shopkeeper as he counted the money Horror placed on the counter.

"I don't...understand," Horror questioned. It was getting more difficult to understand things, with so little uninterrupted sleep.

"Tell you what, put a mirror up. If you're quiet and still, you might catch sight of one of them. You'll see."

Horror didn't know what to make of it, but it nagged at him the rest of the afternoon. He moved the living room mirror into the bedroom, facing it towards their bed.

"Dust-Bunny?" Horror called quietly. He found Dust sitting in the living room, his head tiredly in his hand. Dust gave him a small smile that didn't reach his eyes. Horror held out a steaming mug of tea, which was gratefully accepted. "C'mon...let's get some rest."

When Horror tried to gently tug him upright, Dust remained unmoving, instead squeezing the hand in his own tightly. He was staring into his mug, looking lost.

"Horror...I love you."

The tender words that normally sent his Soul fluttering somehow filled him with dread instead. There was a wrongness to it that Horror couldn't place. His bones ran cold.

Horror laid in bed, as unmoving as the dead, when it started. Dust whimpered in his sleep, shifting restlessly. Horror slowly glanced towards the mirror, but saw nothing but their reflections. He waited. He was patient. After a minute, he finally saw it. The subtle shift in the air above Dust. A wisp of smokiness that didn't belong. Then two. Then three.

The more that gathered, the worse Dust became. Tears streamed from his closed sockets. He was quietly begging in his sleep, murmurs of 'No, no, please' until Horror decided enough was enough. His hand slipped under the sheets to grab the axe at his bedside.

Dust bolted upright with a terrified yelp, his eyelight glowing erratically. He scrambled to get away from the unseen terror, falling from the bed and backing across the floor until his back hit the wall. Horror swung his axe, his aim perfect, but the weapon simply lodged itself into the wall. He quickly checked the mirror and saw the wisps of smoke sliding harmlessly around his blade.

He growled, pulling the axe from the wall. It wasn't over yet.

"You won't- I won't...I can't! I can't hurt him! No! I-" Dust had summoned his Soul and was gripping it harshly with a trembling hand. His other hand summoned a bone construct, pointed end poised dangerously close to the sensitive organ. Horror's eye widened, his axe dropped to the floor harmlessly.

Dust grinned shakily, his gaze finally lifting to meet Horror's, "It's finally gonna be ok, babe."

He lifted the weapon at his Soul, and Horror tackled him.

He wanted to burn the place. Instead, he held Dust tightly in his arms, and ran.

They decided that perhaps it was best to leave the Underground behind. The surface had a certain appeal. They found a pacifist universe, where monsters lived above ground, and decided to give it a shot.

Dust was immediately enamored. As the sun set, he clung to Horror's hand, eyes wide at the change of colors across the sky. They watched until it disappeared into night, leaving the stars to shimmer across the darkness.

"Look at all of them! There's so many!"

Dust excitedly looked beside him and was startled to see Horror staring - not at the sky, but at him.

"Uh, babe?"

"You're smiling..."

Dust's cheeks flushed and he scratched at the back of his neck, embarrassed. Horror pulled him close, and they shared their first kiss under the stars.

It wasn't easy on the surface, they couldn't afford more than a cheap apartment just outside of town. But it had a tiny balcony that Dust went out onto every night to gaze up at the sky.

Horror insisted on being the one to venture into town for food and supplies. He was calmer around the human population, and Dust was silently thankful for it. With time, he would adjust. But for now, he could find little jobs online, simple work for other monsters in their situation.

Money and food were always tight. They sat together on their ratty carpet in the evenings, sometimes splitting a bowl of soup. Dust was always hungry afterwards, but kept it to himself. He didn't want Horror to worry. And as long as they were together, it would be fine. He was happy here, and prepared to do whatever it took to forge a life in this quaint universe.

Dust woke up the next morning, surprised to find his lover already gone. It was rather early but it did tend to take Horror a while to walk into town to buy groceries. It was the only town nearby, which was more tolerable than a larger city that some universes held (they humored that idea for about an hour before both of them nearly went crazy from the claustrophobic feeling).

He stood and stretched, preparing himself to look for work like always, when he spotted it. The little pouch that Horror kept their money in, sitting on the desk.

Well, shit, that wouldn't do.

Perhaps it was his sign that it was time to bite the bullet and check out the town. He'd never get used to it if he never went, after all. And if they were going to be living here from now on, he couldn't leave all the tough work for Horror. Mind set, he grabbed the light pouch, and set off.

It was mostly humans. He expected it, the main settlement of monsters was in a larger city near Mt. Ebott. They purposefully stayed away from there to prevent any trouble with the Multiverses wide array of Sanses. There was an open-air market that Horror mentioned, with cheaper prices than regular stores, so Dust searched there. Everywhere he went he could feel the gaze of humans on him. It made his neck itch and his fingers twitchy.

"300G and the price gets higher the longer you stink up my stall," Dust overheard the commotion and couldn't help have his attention drawn to it. A few other humans were gathered around, a small chattering circle of people that Dust had difficulty seeing through.

"That's...too much. I don't have that."

He recognized Horror's voice the moment he spoke. Dust pushed his way past the crowd, only to see the other skeleton standing in front of a well-stocked food stall, a trio of humans before him.

"You don't have it? Then too bad. Get out of here, filthy monster."

"You charged...half that...last week," Horror argued quietly. Dust's brow furrowed, he wasn't used to seeing Horror look so small, like he was trying to be unnoticed.

"What was that? You talk so slow I fell asleep. That big hole in your head made you real stupid, didn't it? Let me spell it out for you, 300G because if you wanna eat, you gotta buy from me. I'm the only one generous enough to sell to your kind, after all."

Horror glanced aside, grabbing at his socket as he considered the words.

"Ugh, that's disgusting, stop that!" the human made a sour face, prompting Horror to slowly lower his hand and grip at his jacket instead.

"Alright, monster, here's your deal. You clean my shoes and I'll let you have some vegetables," Horror watched as the shoes in question were dragged through the dirt, before being kicked off towards his own feet. Dust was frozen with shock; was this what Horror was doing for food? He found himself unable to turn away as Horror knelt down slowly to grab them and begin to wipe away the dirt with his own shirt.

"No, that's not good enough. Use your tongue."

Horror stopped, the silent anger visible on his face. Good, that was more like it. Fuck these humans if they thought they could take advantage of-

"You got someone else you shop for don'tcha? You don't want them to go hungry tonight...do you?"

And just like that, Dust saw the fight in him disappear. He conjured his tongue and slowly began licking the grime from the soiled shoe.

"Ew, look! I told you it was a weird color! Like his eye!"

The crowd had grown bigger, louder now that there was a display to watch.

"Babe?"

Horror gasped at the sight of Dust, who didn't remember stepping forward. He could feel it rushing through his bones, his LV acting up with all the humans nearby.

"Why?" Dust questioned him, quietly.

Horror looked away, ashamed, "...I won't let...my family go hungry...not again. And you were...finally so happy."

Dust saw red. He didn't remember much when his LV spiked like this. But he heard the screams, saw the blood splattering, and felt the thrumming magic as he called upon enough bone and blaster to wreak havoc upon the market. He vaguely remembered joking with Horror that they could get new clothes now that the shopkeeper was dead. But Horror wasn't laughing, just tugging his hand until they had escaped the carnage of this universe.

They kept trying. Universe after universe of failures.

Until one.

They were hesitant to get their hopes up. The place was run down, but quiet. There was a lot of land here and they discovered it used to be a farmstead.

"It needs...a lot of work," Horror commented, but Dust heard the slight incline in his voice and knew he was interested.

"Alright. Let's give it a shot."

Horror took an immediate interest in growing his own crops. There was something about it that Dust knew filled a gap in Horror's Soul; to finally be in complete control over his own food and provide for his loved ones. Meanwhile, Dust managed repairs on the home and farming equipment that had been left behind. It felt good to get his hands greasy. He hadn't done this kind of mechanical work since...well, too long.

It turned out to be perfect. Eventually, the feelings of trepidation turned into something more positive. The abandoned property took on new life; there were crops and animals, a hammock for afternoon naps, a warm fireplace for chilly evenings. Silly, peaceful things that they didn't know they would find joy in started to worm into their lives. Horror found a stray cat living under the porch and started feeding it. Eventually, it had kittens. His eye was wide and glowing in his excitement as he held one of them up to show Dust.

"We're...parents!"

And despite the ridiculousness of it all...he was excited too. They would make their future here, away from universes that had stolen so much, and finally begin to heal.


	3. Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Horror is excited for his brother to meet his lover for the first time.

Horror was flitting around the house, chaotic and uncoordinated. He would take three steps into a room, mutter to himself, and turn around to scurry into another room, just to repeat the process. Dust raised a brow at it, but decided to let Horror work it out of his system, whatever it was. After an hour though, he couldn't watch anymore.

He stepped in Horror's path as he tried to shuffle by, grabbing him by the arms, "Ok, hold up, what's got you so assed up this morning?"

Horror looked back and forth anxiously, before giving in to an unusual fit of chuckles. Dust waited patiently for an explanation. Finally, Horror grabbed his shoulders in return, an excited look on his face, "Was gonna...surprise you! But I'm...too excited! My bro is coming to dinner...tonight!"

Dust blinked, surprised, "Your...bro?"

"Yeah! Can't wait to...introduce you. He's super cool!"

Horror hadn't seen his brother in years. They lived in separate universes, doing whatever they could to heal from the events of their own timeline. Dust would catch them texting sometimes, but Horror mentioned his brother didn't quite understand his phone most of the time. He could tell from context though how close they were.

Turned out Horror was trying to prepare a special dinner for the occasion. His excitement had gotten the better of him and he kept distractedly forgetting what he was doing. So Dust decided to help keep him in line. Which is how they wound up at the grocery store together, the list entrusted to Dust while Horror picked out the best vegetables for their stew.

"What should we make...for dessert? Fruit...chocolate?" Horror started muttering to himself, the endless possibilities quickly pulling his focus.

Dust placed a hand on his shoulder to steady him, "What does he like?"

"I don't know! We never...had dessert before," Horror's face was so honest that Dust couldn't help but smile.

"Ok. Let's do baked apples with cinnamon. That was my-" he paused, the presence behind his shoulder growing more intense as he corrected himself, "-uh, I mean, that was one thing I could make without totally ruining it."

If Horror noticed his blunder, he thankfully ignored it. He nodded excitedly, running through another mental checklist, "We need apples...brown sugar...cinnamon..."

Horror was already half way down the aisle, having bypassed the apples altogether. Dust chuckled fondly, tossing a few apples into a bag before jogging to catch up with him.

It was only the afternoon, but Horror insisted that the prep should begin already. Dust shrugged. Horror was the better judge of timing. And his excitement was contagious. He wondered what kind of monster Horror's brother would turn out to be. Was he talkative? Did he enjoy puzzles?

Horror was more in his element in the kitchen, falling back into a more methodical work mode and losing focus less. Dust made an effort to be helpful; he could cut vegetables. But apparently the sizes of his cuts were too different. He didn't see why that mattered, but it was an important dinner so he grabbed another potato to start again. It was oblong and he wasn't quite sure where to start.

It must have shown on his face because a pair of arms wrapped around him, each hand placed over his own, guiding him.

"Cut it...in half first. The flat edge...will help you," Dust flushed at the sudden closeness but focused on his task, using Horror's gentle guidance to make something usable in their meal. As he grew more confident, Horror leaned in to place a kiss against his neck before going back to his own task. He nearly fumbled the knife before correcting himself and continuing, pointedly ignoring the way his neck suddenly felt so hot. He would have to help out in the kitchen more often.

They sat at the table together, brushing apples with a sweet smelling mixture and setting them into a shallow pan to bake. Horror had been chatting his non-existent ear off, which Dust had to admit was rather endearing. They were both fairly quiet monsters by nature, to see Horror so excited was nice.

"And he...would make snow food...we'd have fake dinners...was funny," Horror chuckled to himself at the memory. Dust listened on quietly as they worked, occasionally asking a question, but mostly content to let the other fill in the blanks regarding the important monster he'd soon be meeting.

A minute of silence passed before Horror continued, "I'm excited for him...to meet you. He's gonna...love you. Just as much...as I do."

Dust's felt a tightness gather in his Soul at the comment. It had been a long time since he'd had his own brother. The memories were painful more often than not. Sure, he had his splitting image constantly floating behind him, but it wasn't the same. And Horror's brother sounded so great-he found himself choking up the more he thought about it. A hand brushed against his face, wiping away a tear he hadn't noticed he'd shed. 

"Sorry..." came the mumbled apology from Horror. Dust grabbed his hand and kissed it.

"No, don't be. I'm real excited to meet your bro. He sounds awesome."

Horror smiled and nodded. A few moments passed as they finished preparing the dessert, Dust moving to place it in the oven to bake. The larger monster stood suddenly, slamming his hands onto the table in a poof of sugary dust.

"Gotta shower - Paps always said...appearances were important! Need clean clothes too..."

Dust nodded, "Yeah, ok, no problem. I'll join ya'." 

Horror gave him a look, "No funny business...on a schedule."

"Aww, not even a little?" he pouted.

Horror paused for a moment, a smirk slowly crossing his face, "Heh, ok...maybe a little."

It didn't take long to clean up and find fresh laundry. Dust made sure the dining room table was cleaned and set while Horror set the food to simmer and keep warm. Anytime now, he would arrive. Horror kept finding things inside to fuss with until Dust gently suggested they wait outside on the porch to get some air.

The evening was cool and refreshing. Dust took a deep breath and sighed, relaxing his bones. Although Horror sat beside him, he was anxiously wringing his hands together, watching down the road for his brother to show up. After a few minutes, Dust grabbed onto his hand and laced their fingers together. The larger monster seemed to settle a bit with the contact, and Dust took the opportunity to enjoy the changing colors of the evening sky.

Time ticked on, the colors fading away into the darkness of night. The stars were always so beautiful from their home, set away from the lights of the nearest town. Normally, Dust would enjoy tracing the constellations and their movements, but tonight he paid them no mind. He kept glancing at Horror, who's brow furrowed further in worry with every passing minute.

"Maybe he got held up?" Dust suggested. He refused to let go of the hand he held.

Horror gave a small smile and nodded, "Yeah...he's kinda bad...with directions."

The evening began to grow cold, but the pair continued to wait despite it. Their food was likely cold, and their dessert probably no good after sitting out for so long. Not that it mattered, not in comparison to the way Horror fretfully watched the road. He had pulled out his phone at one point, to text his brother and check on him.

It took another half an hour before his phone sounded with a received message. Horror read through it, although it seemed to run on longer than a simple message should. He finally sighed and put his phone away, turning to Dust with an easy smile that didn't match his eyes.

"He tried to message me...days ago. Said their portal...was temporarily down. But he didn't...send it properly. Heh...not the first time...he's done that...he's so funny."

"Babe, I'm sorry..."

"Don't be...just glad he's safe."

Horror made to stand up but Dust held him in place. It wasn't right for tonight to end like this. Horror had been so hopeful, so excited, more so than he had been for anything else in a long time. Horror squeezed his hand reassuringly, "C'mon, Dust-Bunny...let's go inside."

"Would you like...to meet my brother?" Dust whispered.

Horror tilted his head, confusion on his face. He knew all about Dust's history. "Uh, your...bro?"

Dust pointed behind his own shoulder, "Babe, this is my bro, Papyrus. Paps, this is my mate, Horror."

Horror glanced at the empty space behind him. For a moment, he was quiet, and Dust worried that he may have crossed a line. Instead, Horror's eye softened, a real smile replacing the forced one from earlier.

"Nice t'meet you. Do you...like things here?"

Dust tilted his head slightly, a movement Horror was used to seeing, and listened for a moment before answering, "He says he appreciates your culinary expertise because I'm hopeless in the kitchen. He also says he enjoyed your take on the baked apples."

"Heh, thank you."

"He also finds your backyard greenhouse 'both delightful and practical.'"

"Fresh herbs make the difference...trick is quality soil."

Dust listened again before answering, "He would like you to tell him more about it."

Horror stood, tugging Dust up with him, and leaned over to kiss his cheek, "I'd love to chat about it...let's go inside and get some tea...and I'll tell you my secret to quality soil."

The pair meandered in, hand in hand, to enjoy their first family get together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I barely had time to write this, let alone proof read it...whoopsie?


	4. Fighting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note the rating change. I love soft sweet HorrorDust but I also want them to bang...whoops?

Dust wrapped his arms around his lover's neck as they kissed, and pulled him on top of him as he laid back on the couch. Sometimes Horror got in these moods where he had to have his hands on Dust, as if he were going to disappear if he wasn't holding onto him. Those hands were pulling his shirt off, leaving him with only his scarf trussed messily around his neck. Dust's ribs were warm compared to the hands that caressed them, sending a shiver down him.

Horror kissed him down his sternum while his hands traced across the scarred and gritty bones. There was a series of cracks that ran along his left side from an old injury that didn't quite heal right. Horror's attention was drawn to it, his eye lingering as his fingertips traced along it. Dust waited patiently for Horror to work through his emotions. The big guy felt a lot, and his injuries sometimes made the experiences difficult for him to process without feeling overwhelmed. He traced his hand along Horror's cheek and under his chin, gently drawing his attention back upward.

"Do you remember that fight?" Dust asked quietly.

Horror's brow furrowed and he instinctively nuzzled at the bone, licking at it like an animal cleaning a fresh wound. Dust gasped at the intimate ministrations, the cracks in his bones glowing a gentle purple as his magic flared with the attention. He closed his eyes as Horror worked him over, his hips canting upward to seek the same attention.

"I wasn't...fast enough...to protect you," Horror mumbled the words like a guilty confession, before placing soft apologetic kisses along him.

_Horror let loose a battle cry, drawing the attention of the gang of filthy Fell monsters that thought they could get the jump on them. He swung his axe in warning, his wielding quick and seamless compared to his bulky and broken frame. Dust backed up; his role in their pairing to offer magical support from a distance._

_When a few of the monsters rushed in, Horror didn't hesitate. He engaged with a ruthless ferocity that left flesh and blood covering the surrounding snow. Dust would protect his blind side, raising bone walls ahead of the ones that attempted to gain an advantage before surprising them with sharpened bone spears at their backs._

_He didn't see any get through. There were six of them, and he made sure to keep his eye cycling between them so as to not lose sight of any for more than a moment at a time. But as he yanked his axe from the chest of the monster in front of him, he could feel a presence behind him. His mind might not be what it used to be, but his instincts hadn't failed him. He turned, shocked to see a Greater Dog had joined the tussle. Spear raised, he swung at Dust, weapon connecting in a painful sounding crunch of bones that sent Dust flying across the snow._

_"Dust!" Horror screamed but there was no response._

Dust chuckled quietly, "That wasn't even the best part. Do you remember after?"

Horror paused for a moment above Dust's straining shorts, considering the question, before shaking his head. He leaned down and mouthed against the clothed dick, emitting a pleased hum with Dust's accompanying whine.

"L-Let me...oh fuck...refresh your memory," Dust panted.

_Agonizing pain was all he registered. A hit from a Greater Dog was no fucking joke. Especially a Fellverse one. The stupid dog had been buried in the snow behind Horror, only coming out to see what all the commotion was. He fired bone shards at him, but they dinked off his heavy armor almost unnoticed. His attention was on Horror and his big shiny axe, covered in blood._

_He only had a moment. Horror was handling the mess at his front and was going to get badly ambushed. He quickly threw a dull bone attack in front of the dog monster's face before using blue magic to boomerang it harmlessly back. When Greater Dog's attention turned towards him, Dust smirked. Dog monsters might be strong, but they were stupid as hell and easily distracted._

_When Greater Dog lunged toward him, Dust shot another sharpened bone directly at his face. Only for it to be swatted away._

_Well, fuck._

_So, he'd apparently blacked out for a minute from the pain. He had to get back into the fray, but his body was refusing to cooperate. He forced his eyes to reopen._

_Horror was standing above him, but was missing his axe - he must have dropped it to race over here! Horror was strong and durable, but fighting without a weapon could be a death sentence. He had to get back up! He tried, but his ribs were broken straight threw and ground against each other, leaking blood and magic until he gagged on it._

_"You won't touch him!" Horror's snarl was nearly indecipherable._

_But what rendered him speechless was the sudden glow in Horror's eye; the way he lifted his arm, and the deafening trill of a blaster encompassing the area before them._

"Hn, don't really...remember that," Horror was unbothered, things occasionally slipping his memory. He was more preoccupied with pulling Dust's shorts out of his way.

"Can't say I'm surprised. You were wiped after. Barely kept your bones together," Dust lifted his hips to help the other. "Honestly though, seeing you use magic like that...hot as hell."

Horror smirked, meeting his lover's impish gaze, "Well, in that case...how about I...show you some more?" He stuck his conjured tongue out, wagging it suggestively. Dust chuckled excitedly, letting himself relax and watch as Horror continued to impress him with his magical prowess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My job barely leaves me time to write, let alone proofread! Uhh, rolling the dice here on that one...


	5. With Others

Horror had always been a fairly reserved monster. He didn't talk much, the fast banter between Cross and Killer often more than he could keep up with. He would sit quietly, listening, his face betraying his emotions more than his words often did. Perhaps that was part of why they did so well together. Although Dust didn't have Horror's limitations, he often chose to watch the other pair dance around each other rather than participate in whatever nonsense they hoped to accomplish in their stupidity.

They sat, shoulder to shoulder, every day, passing quiet jokes between themselves. It was their comfortable routine. Tonight was much the same; their typical 'family dinner' with Cross and Killer arguing over something nonsensical while Nightmare kept them just short of homicide.

"Heh, can you believe them? I'll bet you 50G that they're already fucking," Dust chuckled.

When Horror didn't respond after a minute, Dust glanced over, only to see Horror staring at him. He had a soft, strange look on his face that Dust couldn't place.

"Uh, you ok, buddy?"

Horror smiled, leaned forward, and kissed him. Dust was shocked; he couldn't think straight, this was so sudden. But it was also...really nice. He let his eyes slip shut and relax into the feeling of being so close to the monster he'd grown so fond of.

"Oh shit."

Killer's surprised exclamation had Dust gasping and jump back, nearly stumbling from his chair. He looked around only to realize that all conversation had stopped in favor of watching them. Dust's felt his face heat up, surely covered entirely in purple. He pulled his hood over his face and, in a panic, shortcut away.

Horror avoided him all week, thinking he'd done a terrible thing. Dust finally cornered him and explained that he wasn't _ashamed_ or anything...he was just...kinda...

"...shy?" Horror offered.

Dust nodded quickly, his hood obscuring his face. He heard Horror's deep rumbling chuckle and felt as he pressed their foreheads together.

"That's ok Dust-Bunny...I'll be more careful."

They started dating, which wasn't a strong enough word in Dust's opinion for the Soul-deep connection the two quickly formed. He couldn't imagine life any other way; he was so happy. But even so, he managed to find himself hiding in his hood anytime the attention was turned on them. Horror was true to his word, keeping their public affection nearly nonexistent for the sake of his boyfriend. Except for one small problem...

Horror was incredibly forgetful.

He didn't mean it, he simply acted the way he felt. Little things at first; an accidental peck on the cheek, a hug goodbye, a suggestive comment at the dinner table. It was endearing, really. But Dust found himself staring at the inside of his hood more and more often to avoid the smirks and leers of the others.

And it progressed. They had sat down together with Killer and Cross for a movie. It was only natural that Dust made popcorn to share with his perpetually hungry boyfriend. Sharing food was one of the most meaningful things they did together, after all. They emptied it fairly quickly, the movie barely past the introduction. No matter, Dust could always make more. He went to stand but was held back by his hand held firmly within Horror's grasp. His eyes were glued on the movie as he brought the hand to his mouth and began licking Dust's fingers clean of salty buttery goodness.

Dust felt his face heat up further with each passing lick against his fingertips. He knew that tongue intimately. His mind supplied him imagery of all the other lovely places Horror had lapped at with it. If he didn't stop soon, Dust was sure he would start leaking purple out his face holes from the embarrassment.

"Hey, Dust, that color looks good on you," Killer snickered.

Dust moved to pull his hood over his face but stopped when he caught a glance of Horror's face. He looked so upset, realizing he'd screwed up, and covered his own face with his hands.

No, that wouldn't do. These stupid hangups of his had upset his boyfriend. Suddenly, nothing else mattered.

Dust grabbed Horror's hands and pulled them aside, entwining their fingers together. Horror looked distraught, his eye looking down in his shame.

"Babe," Dust whispered. Horror slowly looked up at him. Dust's Soul was warm and fluttering at the sight of him, as it always did. He smiled, and kissed him. Horror made a startled little noise and tried to pull away but Dust simply leaned in further, crawling onto his lap to chase him. After a moment, Horror gave in, relaxing into their kiss and happily squeezing the hands in his own.

"Uh, guys?" Cross's voice rang out but they ignored it. Their first kiss ended with their foreheads pressed together, sharing warm breath until the temptation for more was too much to resist. They pressed together again and again, Dust's arms wrapping behind Horror's neck while bony hands held onto his hips tightly. Horror's tongue licked against his teeth and Dust happily welcomed him with his own, moaning as the contact of their magic sent a shock through him.

"Maybe...we should give them some privacy? Killer? Dammit Killer stop eating popcorn like a creep and let's go!"

After that, Dust readily accepted any affection that Horror gave him.

**Author's Note:**

> Starting off G rated, not sure what rating we'll end up with by the end of the week though :D


End file.
